Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

चतुर्भुजाय दातव्या कन्येयं भुवि भीष्मक । एवं तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा जहर्ष प्रियया सह

Transliteration

caturbhujāya dātavyā kanyeyaṃ bhuvi bhīṣmaka | evaṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā jaharṣa priyayā saha

Translation

“ഹേ ഭീഷ്മകാ! ഈ കന്യയെ ഭൂമിയിൽ ചതുര്ഭുജനായ ഭഗവാന്ക്കുതന്നെ വിവാഹമായി നൽകണം.” ഈ വാക്കുകൾ കേട്ട് രാജാവ് പ്രിയ റാണിയോടൊപ്പം ആനന്ദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• चतुर्भुजाय: to the four-armed one
• चतुर्भुजाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (सम्प्रदान), एकवचनम्; ‘चत्वारो भुजाः यस्य’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे नाम/विशेषणवत् (to the four-armed one)

• दातव्या: must be given
• दातव्या: Karya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तम्—तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कन्या इति विशेष्येण सह

• कन्या: the maiden/daughter
• कन्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; ‘earth’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• भीष्मक: O Bhīṣmaka
• भीष्मक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (thus)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वचनम् इति विशेषणम्

• वचनम्: statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्तम् (absolutive/gerund)

• जहर्ष: rejoiced
• जहर्ष: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष् (धातु) + ज (अभ्यास; reduplication)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूतः), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रियया: with (his) beloved
• प्रियया: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (सह/करण), एकवचनम्; ‘with (his) beloved’

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; सहार्थक-उपपद (with)

Speaker

Aśarīriṇī Vāk (disembodied divine voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant, unseen proclamation commands that the maiden be given to the Four-armed Lord; Bhīṣmaka and the queen rejoice, hands raised in glad assent.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣmaka
• Caturbhuja (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Rukmiṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is aligned with divine ordinance; sacred destinies unfold through directives that connect human life to the divine.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it establishes Rukmiṇī’s divinely guided destiny, foundational to the Rukmiṇī Tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A matrimonial injunction: the maiden is to be given to the Four-armed Lord (understood as Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa).